Barcelona continues its exile from its home at the Spotify Camp Nou without a clear date set for its return to one of the most iconic stadiums in European soccer.
It's been over 15 months since a massive renovation project began that will see the Camp Nou become the largest stadium in Europe, with a capacity that will exceed 100,000 when construction is completed.
Barcelona have found a temporary home in the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, the main venue of the 1992 Olympics, since the start of the 2023–24 season.
The original plan was for Barcelona to return to the Camp Nou in Nov. 2024 with the stadium at 60% capacity in time for the celebration of the club's 125-year anniversary on Nov. 29.
However, the November deadline appears to have been a little ambitious. Barcelona higher-ups have been careful not to set a specific return date, but club President, Joan Laporta recently commented on the subject in a Barca One Podcast.
"We'll return to the Camp Nou at the start of 2025," Laporta said.
Vice President Elena Fort added that "There are no exact dates to return to the stadium. We can’t say right now, but we are on the correct path."
She also mentioned that they still expect the Camp Nou to be ready by the end of the year; however, there's one big obstacle that stands in the way of a return this year.
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UEFA doesn't allow teams to play in two different stadiums during the league phase of the Champions League. Barcelona plays Atalanta at home on Jan. 29, 2025 to close out the league phase, and it'll have to do it at its current home stadium in Montjuic. Barcelona doesn't want to have two home stadiums operating at the same time, so the return to the Camp Nou will likely happen next February.
Barcelona could potentially return to Camp Nou in its next domestic game after the conclusion of the UCL league phase on Feb. 2 against Deportivo Alaves in La Liga.
The club has a contract with the city that allows them to play at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys until the end of Mar. 2025. The club released a statement detailing that playing away from the Camp Nou has "resulted in a reduction in annual ordinary revenue of over €100 million."
Although the project is expected to be fully completed until the 2026–27 season, the Blaugranas eagerly await the return to one of world soccer's cathedrals to complete what has started as a very promising season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Will Barcelona Return to the Camp Nou?.
